Combined seam-pressing and tape-applying machine



R. J. HOLMES 2,015,932

COMBINED SEAM PRESSING AND TAPE APPLYING MACHINE Oct. 1, 1935.

,Zizvezitoz' Filed Jan. 5, 1953 Patented Oct. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIVHSINED SEAM-PRESSING AND TAPE- APPLYING MACHINE Raymond J. Holmes, Lynn, Mass assignor to Boston Machine Works Company, Lynn, Mass.,

a. corporation of Massachusetts The present invention relates. to combined seam-pressing and tape-applying machines which are used in the manufacture of womens shoes to press and apply tape to the seam-ridge formed 5 by the back seam joining the shoe upper quarters.

The principal object of the present invention is to produce a combined seam-pressingand taping-machi'ne in which the upstanding seam-ridge is preformed for the operation of the combined 10 seam-pressing and tape applying instrumental ities. a

To the accomplishment of this object and such others as may appear hereinafter, the various features of the present invention reside in cer- 15 tain devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and then pointedout broadly and in detail in the appended claims,

possessing advantages readily apparent to those skilled in this art.

20 a The various features of the present invention will be understood readily from aninspectionof the accompanying drawing illustrating the best form of the invention at present devised, in which, t Figure 1 is a vievi in left side elevation of the 25 combined seam-pressing and tape-applying machine; n a i Fig. 2 is a detailview in front elevation, partially in section, of the seam-ridge guide and the gage for engaging the free end edge face of the 30 seam-ridge;

Fig. 3 is a detail view in sectional elevation on the line 3 3, Fig. 2; l

Fig. 4' is a detail view in left side elevation showing the seam-presser and seam-setter operating upon the sewed quarters; l r

I Fig. 5 is 'a view in perspective of one of the seam ridge guides;

Fig. 6 is a detail view in perspective of the trough for guiding the tape to the work;

Fig. 7 is a detailview in sectional elevation on the line 1-1, Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8 is a detail View in perspective showing a section of a pressed and taped seam-ridge, with the tape partially pulled away from the seam- 45 ridge to ShOW the extent of the adherence of the tape thereto.

The illustrated embodiment of the present inventionis similar in some respects to the ma-- chine disclosed in my Patent No. 1,929,380, Oct. 3, 1933'. Both machines operate upon a work piece comprising two quarters I and, (Figs. land '7), sewed together by a curved line of stitching l2 (Fig. 4) concentric with the adjacent edges of the i quarters. The quarters are opened up to present a seam-ridgel3 (Fig. 4) on the convex face of the work and a seam-crease l4 (Fig. 8) on the concave face of the work.

In. the machine (Fig. 1), the work is supported upon a roll l5 for the operation of a seam-presser or hammer l3 and a heated seam-setting orrub- 5 bing tool l7, both of which may have the same relative modes of operation as the corresponding parts disclosed in either the patent to Staples, No. 1,234,950, July 31, 1917, or the patent to Walter P. Osgood, No. 1,928,654, Oct. 3, 1933. In 10 either event the seam-presser or hammer l6 operates in a four motioncycle; moving substantially vertically to press the seam-ridge, horizontally to the left (Fig. I) to feed the work, vertically to leave the work, and'horizontally back? to the right (Fig. 1) to oompletethe cycle.

In order to present the seam-ridge properly to the Work support IS, the illustrated embodiment of the present invention is providedwith a seamcrease guide l8 having a horizontal portion [9, the guide being similar to the one disclosed in my above mentioned; application, and also' with a guide 20 embracing the opposite sides of the seamridge l3, and a gage 2 I engaging the free endedge face of theseam-ridge.

The seam-ridge guide 2!] (Figs. 2' and 3) comprises two members 22 and 23 arranged to embrace the opposite sides of the seam-ridge l3. As shown particularly in Fig. 2, the members 22 and 23 are flared inwardly in the direction in which the work is fed, that is, towards the rear of the machine. The members 22 and 23 are formed, respectively, on one end ofvertical levers 24 and 25 (Fig; 2) which are pivoted, respectively, on pins 26 and 21 which bridge a recess28 (Fig. 3) formed in a block 29. The block 29 is mounted upon the lower end of a rod 31] mounted to slide yieldingl'y vertically in bearings 3| and 32 in the manner as explained in my patent hereinbefore referred to.

As shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2 the upper ends 33 and 3lgrespectively, of the levers24 and 25 are engaged and held apart by the face of a frusto-conical collar 35 loosely carried by the rod 30 above the block 29. The irusto-conical 001- lar 35 is held inengagement with the lever ends 33 and 34 by one end of a coil spring 36, theother end of which contacts the under face of an adjustable collar 31 carried by a threaded portion of the rod 30. With this construction the seamridge guides 22 and 23 are normally pressed together by the downward pressure of thefrustoconical collar 35. The extent to which the seamridge guides 22 and 23 assume a closed position is limited by the stops 38 and 39 carried, respectively, by the levers24 and 25'. i

The gage 2| is provided with a vertical portion 40 (Fig. 3) having a vertically extending slot M which embraces the shank of a screw 42 carried by the block 29 so as to permit a vertical adjustment of the gage 2i The gage is further provided with a portion 43 bent rearwardly and terminating in a flat portion 44 which extends parallel to and adjacent the horizontal portion IQ of the seamcrease guide l8. The fiat portion 44 of the gage 2| engages the free end edge face of the seamridge during the operation of the machine.

After the sewed quarters are opened up, the

upstanding seam-ridge is introduced between the flaring front ends of the seam-ridge guides 22 and 23. As these members 22 and 23 converge towards each other in the direction the work is fed,

they embrace the opposite sides of the seam-ridge ,7

l3 and confine the sides of the seam-ridge to a predetermined path. Because of the pivoted construction of the levers 24 and 25, theseam-ridge guides 22 and 23 move laterally to accommodate themselves to the thickness'of the seam-ridge I31 The collar 35 being resiliently held against the lever ends 33 and 34, it is clear that any force tending to move the guides 22 and 23 away from W thickness. At the same time that the sides of the seam-ridge l3 are engaged by the guides 22 and 23, the seam-crease I4 is engaged by the horizontal portion l9 of the seam-crease guide l8, and the free end edge face of the seam-ridge is engaged I y the fiat portion 44 of the gage 2|. .40

The'seam-ridge is pushed through the space bounded by the'guideslB, 22, and 23 and the gage 2| until the leading end of the seam-ridge projects, unsupported from below, beyond the free end 'of the seam-crease guide l8. At this point,

'a fin 45, projecting forwardlyfrom the seamseam-ridge, with the'result that when the fin steps upon the portion of the seam-ridge unsupported from below, the fin forms a groove in 'the free end edge face of the seam-ridge and displaces the material directly under the g'roove'to press the'seam-crease l4 firmly into engagement with the peripheral surface of the work support l5.

The work engaging face of the fin 45 is roughened'so that when the seam-presser or" hammer I 6 is moved to the left (Fig; 1) the fin 45 feeds the depressed seam-ridge to the left. After the seampresser 16 reaches its extreme position of movement to the left in contact with the work, the seam-presser l and the fin 45 are'elevated from 'the work, return out of contact with the work to an extreme position to the right (Fig. 1) and are then lowered into engagement with the work. As pointed out above, when the fin 45 steps upon the seam-ridge IS, the fin projects into the space I bounded by the seam-ridge guides 22 and 23. As soon, however, as the fin 45 moves to the left (Fig; 1) and the portion of the seam-ridge l3 which has been grooved by the fin'escapes beyond the guide members 22 and 23, the compressed 75 walls of the grooved portion of the seam-ridge spring outwardly. Upon the next down stroke of. the seam-presser or hammer I6, the fin 45 steps on another portion of the seam-ridge that is laterally confined but unsupported from below, and the walls of the groove formed by the preceding down 5, stroke of the fin 45, but which are now unconfined laterally by the seam-ridge guide members 22 and 23, are struck by the hammer l6 which rolls the walls outwardly into engagement with the adjacent faces of the work pieces and H 10 (Fig; 7) supported upon the work support [5.

The formation of the groove by the fin 4,5, the rolling of the walls of the groove outwardly by the seam-presser or hammer l6, and the four motion feeding movements thereof continue until the seam-ridge passes beyond their influence.

In the meantime, however, the portion of, the seam-ridge previously operated upon by the presser or hammer i6 is supplied with tape, and the assembled tape and preformed seam-ridge are fed beneath the seam-setter IT to cause the tape to adhere to the seam-ridge and to set the seamridge in its preformed condition.

To this end the illustrated embodiment of the present invention is provided with a supply of adhesive tape 41. (Fig. 1) supported in the usual manner by an arm 48 (shown sectionally) extending from the frame of the machine. Also supported from the frame of the machine by a bar 49 (Figs. 1 and 6) is a trough like member 50 through which the adhesive tape passes, coated face exposed. For confining the'tape within the trough 50, cross bars 5!, 52 and 53 connect the edges of the open portion of the trough. The

lower end of the trough, which is slightly bevelled as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 and is covered by the cross bar 53, projects downwardly adjacent the work support l5, and is interposed between the seam-presser or hammer l6 and the seam-setter ii. To insure that the tape 4'! does not adhere 4 to the crossbar 53 as the tape is fed from the trough 50, a leaf spring 54, supported from the cross bar 52, presses the fabric face of the tape against the bottom of the trough.

vWith this construction the tape is fed with the adhesive side thereof engaging the preformed or pressed seam-ridge. Theseam-setter I1 lays the tape along the preformed seam-ridge, presses the tape firmly thereupon, and secures the tape to the flesh faces of the quarters on the opposite sides of the seam-ridge. To facilitate the feeding action of the seam-setter l1, theforward end thereof is roughened, as shown in Fig. 1. In order to relieve the seam-setter of the duty of pulling tape from the source of supply, the illustrated 55 embodiment of the present invention may be provided with a tape pull-off (not shown) of the type disclosed in the patent to Walter P. Osgood, No. 1,899,051, February 28, 1933.

As shown in Fig. 4, the illustrated embodiment of the present invention presses and preforms the seam before tape is applied thereto, and thus presents to the seam-setter IT, as shown in Fig. '7,'a preformed and properly pressed seam-ridge. The advantage gained in presenting a preformed seam-ridge to the seam-setter 11 will be apparent from an examination of Fig. 7, showing that the seam-setter l i, relieved from the necessity of flattening an upstanding seam-ridge, is able to apply tapeto the entire inner surfaces of the portions of the quarters forming the seam-ridge. As indicated in Fig. '7 the median line of the tape 'is pressed down into the joint between the inside faces of the quarters extending between the inside faces of the seam-ridge components between the seam and the bottom of the groove. When the taped seam-ridge escapes from beneath the seam-setter ll, the natural resiliency of the seamridge causes the joint to close and pinch the tape along its median line. With this construction and mode of operation the median line of the seam-ridge is held positively by the tape thereby insuring the seam-ridge and the seam-crease from danger of being distorted during the assembling and shoe making operations.

Nothing herein explained is to be interpreted as limiting the various features of the present invention in the scope of its application to use in connection with the particular machine or the particular mode of operation or both selected for purposes of illustration and explanation. While the particulars of construction herein set forth are well suited to one mechanical form of the invention and to the use to which it is put, it is not limited to'this use, nor to these details of construction, nor to the conjointuseof all its features, nor is it to be understood that these particulars are essential since they may be modified within the skill of the artisan without departing from the true scope of the actual invention, characterizing features of which are set forth in the following claims by the intentional use of generic terms and expressions inclusive of various modifications.

' the inside faces of the seam-ridge components pressed together and means for forming a shallow groove in the free end edge face of the maintained upstanding seam-ridge, of means for applying tape to the grooved seam-ridge and pinching the median line of the tape in the intact joint between the inside faces of the seam-ridge components.

2. In a combined seam-pressing and tape-applying machine, the combination with a work support over which is fed work in the form of two pieces sewed together by a seam-presenting an upstanding seam-ridge on one face of the work and a seam-crease on the other face of the work, means for maintaining the seam-ridge in an upstanding condition with the inside faces of the seam-ridge components pressed together, and a seam-presser cooperating with the work support and the maintaining means for preforming the material of the free end edge face of the maintained upstanding seam-ridge, of means for applying tape to the preformed seam-ridge and for simultaneously setting the seam-ridge.

3. In a combined seam-pressing and tape-applying machine, the combination with a work support over which is fed work in the form of two pieces sewed together by a seam presenting an upstanding seam-ridge on one face of the work and a seam-crease on the other face of the work, means for maintaining the seam-ridge in an upstanding condition with the inside faces of the seam-ridge components pressed together, and means for applying tape along the seam-ridge and for subjecting the tape and the seam-ridge to pressure, of means for forming a groove in the standing condition with the inside faces of the seam-ridge components pressed together, and means for preforming the material of the free end edge face of said maintained upstanding seam-ridge, of means for laying tape along said preformed seam-ridge and for subjecting the assembled tape and seam-ridge to pressure to set the seam-ridge in its preformed condition.

5. In a combined seam-pressing and tape-applying machine, the combination with a work support over which is fed work in the form of two pieces sewed together by a seam presenting an upstanding seam-ridge on one face of the work and a seam-crease on the other face of the work, means for maintaining the seam-ridge in an upstanding condition with the inside faces of the seam-ridge components pressed together, and means for forming a groove in the material of the free end edge face of said maintained upstanding seam-ridge, of means for thereafter applying tape along said groove and for simultaneously causing the tape to be pressed into said groove and to adhere to the walls thereof.

6. In a seam-pressing machine over which is fed work in the form of two pieces sewed together by a seam presenting a seam-ridge on one face of the work and a seam-crease on the other face of the work, the combination with a work support, means for operating upon the work and means for guiding the work to the operating means including two members embracing the seam-ridge and movable laterally thereby, of resilient means including a frusto-conical member for moving said members towards each other.

7. In a|seam-pressing machine over which is fed work in the form of two pieces sewed together by a seam presenting a seam-ridge on one face of the work and a seam-crease on the other face of the work, the combination with a work support, means for operating upon the work, and means for guiding the work to the operating means including two members embracing the seam-ridge and movable laterally thereby, of resilient means including a frusto-conical member engageable with said embracing members for moving them towards each other.

8. In a seam-pressing machine over which is fed work in the form of two pieces sewed together by a seam presenting a seam-ridge on one face of the work and a seam-crease on the other face of the work, the combination with a work support, means for operating upon Work mounted upon said work support and means for guiding the work to the operating means including two members embracing the seam-ridge and movable laterally thereby, of means for resiliently moving said embracing members towards each other including a frusto-conical member engageable with said members and reciprocally movable thereby.

RAYMOND J. HOLMES. 

